Phase-locked oscillator for microwave/millimeter-wave ranges

• US 5,712,602 A
• Filed: 07/09/1996
• Issued: 01/27/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Suematsu, Eiji
• Primary Examiner(s): Grimm, Siegfried H.
• Application Number:
  US08/679,679
• Time in Patent Office: 567 Days
• Field of Search: 331/23, 331/25, 331/30, 332/127
• US Class Current: 332/127
• CPC Class Codes: H03L 7/185 using a mixer in the loop H03L7/187 - H03L7/195 take precedence

Abstract

An VCO generates a high-frequency signal based on a modulating signal and a phase-locking control signal. A first distributor separates the high-frequency signal into two parts, one of which is outputted as an oscillator output signal. An n-multiplier and a microwave amplifier for n-multiplication adjust the level of the reference signal while the frequency of it is multiplied by `n`. A second distributor separates the output from the microwave amplifier for n-multiplication into two parts, one of which is made to be a comparative signal, the other is made to be a locally oscillated signal. A frequency mixer and a microwave amplifier for frequency mixing produce an intermediate frequency signal using the other output from the first distributor and the locally generated signal. The phase comparator compares the intermediate frequency signal with the comparative signal to output an error signal. An LPF generates the phase-locking control signal by removing unwanted signals from the error signal.

Claims

1. A phase-locked oscillator for microwave/millimeter-wave ranges comprising:

an oscillating means for producing a high-frequency signal based on a modulating signal and a phase-locking control signal;

a first distributing means for distributing the high-frequency signal into two parts and outputting one part of it as an oscillator output signal;

an n-multiplying means for multiplying the frequency of a reference signal by `n`;

a second distributing means for distributing the output from said n-multiplying means into two parts and outputting one part of it as a comparative signal and the other as a locally oscillated signal;

a frequency mixing means for producing an intermediate frequency signal using the other output from said first distributing means and the locally oscillated signal;

a phase comparing means for comparing the intermediate frequency signal and the comparative signal to output an error signal; and

a low-pass filtering means for removing unwanted signals from the error signal to produce the phase-locking controlling signal.

4. A phase-locked oscillator for microwave/millimeter-wave ranges according to claim 1 wherein said oscillating means includes a higher-harmonic oscillating means for generating a fundamental wave signal and a higher harmonic of the fundamental signal, and said first distributing means includes a wave-component separating means for separating the fundamental wave signal and the higher-harmonic signal from one another and outputting the higher-harmonic signal as the oscillator output signal.

2. A phase-locked oscillator for microwave/millimeter-wave ranges comprising:

an oscillating means for producing a high-frequency signal based on a modulating signal and a phase-locking control signal;

a first distributing means for distributing the high-frequency signal into two parts and outputting one part of it as an oscillator output signal;

a second distributing means for distributing a reference signal into two parts;

an n-multiplying means for multiplying the frequency of one output from said second distributing means by `n` to produce a comparative signal;

an m-multiplying means for multiplying the frequency of the other output from said second distributing means by `m` to produce a locally oscillated signal;

a frequency mixing means for producing an intermediate frequency signal using the other output from said first distributing means and the locally oscillated signal;

a phase comparing means for comparing the intermediate frequency signal and the comparative signal to output an error signal; and

a low-pass filtering means for removing unwanted signals from the error signal to produce the phase-locking controlling signal.

3. A phase-locked oscillator for microwave/millimeter-wave ranges according to claim 2 wherein said frequency mixing means includes a higher-harmonic mixing means for generating a higher harmonic of the locally oscillated signal.

5. A phase-locked oscillator for microwave/millimeter-wave ranges according to claim 2 wherein said oscillating means includes a higher-harmonic oscillating means for generating a fundamental wave signal and a higher harmonic of the fundamental signal, and said first distributing means includes a wave-component separating means for separating the fundamental wave signal and the higher-harmonic signal from one another and outputting the higher-harmonic signal as the oscillator output signal.

6. A phase-locked oscillator for microwave/millimeter-wave ranges according to claim 3 wherein said oscillating means includes a higher-harmonic oscillating means for generating a fundamental wave signal and a higher harmonic of the fundamental signal, and said first distributing means includes a wave-component separating means for separating the fundamental wave signal and the higher-harmonic signal from one another and outputting the higher-harmonic signal as the oscillator output signal.